Excursions to Cologne in good weather
Cologne, this is not only cathedral and carnival. That is much more. You need tips for activities in and around the cathedral city? Please, here they are, the suggestions that are especially suitable for good weather to roam through Cologne. Almost all activities are outdoor – you can enjoy the mild Rhenish climate. All activities are close to the city centre. If you bring some time with you, you can combine several of them in one day. Although Cologne is a city of millions, you and your family will often find the highlights within a few metres.
The Botanical Garden – the Cologne Flora
The Botanical Garden of the City of Cologne is located in the Riehl district. A visit can be wonderfully combined with a cable car ride across the Rhine to the Deutzer Rheinpark and of course a visit to the Cologne Zoo, which is directly in front of the Flora.
The garden was laid out in 1862 – the entire design was made by the famous Bonn Royal Director of General Gardens Peter Joseph Lenne. Unfortunately, the flora was badly damaged during the Second World War. Today, however, you can admire 10,000 species of plants outdoors and in greenhouses again. Germany’s first palm avenue opened in the park in 2008.
Absolutely worth seeing: The Palais im Park. Today it serves as an event location and is a successful combination of tradition and modernity. There are weekly concerts in the garden, which also serves the residents of Riehl as a place of peace. So if you are longing for some peace and quiet after a strenuous shopping tour through the city centre of Cologne, this place is recommended for you. And the best thing is: The entrance to the Flora is free.
Across the Rhine with the Historic Cable Car
For the Federal Horticultural Show in Cologne in 1957, the city fathers developed the beautiful idea of connecting the right bank of the Rhine with the Deutzer Rheinpark and the left bank of the Rhine. The Flora and the Cologne Zoo were further attractions. The gondolas are largely in their original condition, so a trip across the Rhine is always a journey through time.
The route is almost one kilometre long and you can enjoy a wonderful view from the gondolas across the river to the famous Cologne Cathedral. In addition, the crossing is available for a small fee, as the cable car belongs to the Städtische Verkehrsbetriebe KVB.
The Zoo – Tierisch Kölsch
The Cologne Zoo is located in the immediate vicinity of the Botanical Garden, the Flora. It was founded in 1860 and is thus the third oldest zoo in Germany. The zoo is also one of the top five in the country in terms of the number of visitors. In 2014, 1.7 million people came to visit the more than 10,000 animals.
More than 850 different animal species amaze young and old. Elephants, penguins, zebras, meerkats, giraffes, flamingos, orang-utans, donkeys, goats, seals – the variety is huge. And to keep it that way, Cologne Zoo is involved in around 20 species conservation projects worldwide. The zoo is also active on its own doorstep. One example is the protection of the green toad, which only occurs in the Bay of Cologne and whose population is endangered.
Walk at the Rheinauhafen harbour
The Rheinauhafen – modern architecture in a compact space. Apartments, offices, restaurants and clubs are housed here in architecturally bold buildings. Since the early 1990s, almost 30 architects have worked to turn these historic buildings into a coherent quarter. In the meantime, everyone agrees that the port is a great success for the city. The special attraction of this site lies in a wonderfully slanted mix of different architectural styles, from Romanesque to ultra-modern.
Segway Tour Cologne
Cologne is quite big. It can take some time to walk around the sights. You can get there faster with a Segway Personal Transporter – and still be right in the middle of the city. Before the guided tours, which last between 2 and 3 hours, you will of course be introduced to the locomotion with the electrically driven one-person means of transport. It takes a little getting used to to steer the vehicle by shifting your weight. Should you still not be able to cope with the Segway, the Segway Tours Cologne team will provide you with an alternative vehicle, e.g. a bike board or an e-bike. You should experience Cologne in a healthy, safe and fun way.
The adventure farm Gertrudenhof
The Gertrudenhof adventure farm in Hürth is located on the outskirts of Cologne. In times when children only know meat and vegetables shrink-wrapped or canned, an excursion to the real roots of food production is worthwhile. What used to be quite normal is now only astonishing for children: Here you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables from the fields, freshly prepared waffles and tarte flambée to feast on and lots of animals to pet: goats, ponies, rabbits and even yaks. No animal has to be used for milk or meat production. The large adventure playground and the straw barn should also be very popular with children. Romping in the straw – that’s where you’ll still get something out of later when one or the other stalk gets stuck in the clothes.
Further information: http://erlebnisbauernhof-gertrudenhof.de/
Summer toboggan run in Mechernich
Even in the Eifel you can’t toboggan as well as before. There hasn’t been anything more to see of the harsh winters of which the older inhabitants tell us. But in summer – there is still tobogganing. On the summer toboggan run in Mechernich-Kommern, which belongs to the Eifeltor World of Experience. 680 metres of tobogganing fun – full throttle into pleasure. But there’s much more to experience on the 100,000 square metre facility. Excavators, swings and trampolines for the smaller ones, quad biking for the older (from 
children. And for rainy weather there’s the large indoor play arena. The ride to the edge of the Eifel is shorter than you might think.
Further information: https://www.erlebniswelt-eifeltor.de/
Königsforster Forest Trail
This offer on the outskirts of Cologne-Rath is completely free of charge: a walk through the 2.5-hectare Königsforst. Since most children find simply walking boring, you should take them along the 4 kilometer forest nature trail. Over thirty display boards along the path explain the main characteristics of the respective tree or shrub. And in the Königsforst there are many different ones: Winter linden, Sitka spruce, red elder, English oak, sandbirch, etc. The Rather pond with a small island and an adjacent bog is a real treasure in the forest area. And all this so close to Cologne!
Further information: http://www.koeln.de/koeln/riechend_hoerend_und_fuehlend_den_wald_entdecken_526853.html
Phantasialand in Brühl
When listing the top attractions, we let the press department of Phantasialand in Brühl have its say: “The whole family gets their money’s worth at Phantasialand in search of gripping thrills, a good portion of tingling sensations and absolute driving pleasure. The award-winning action highlights such as the “Inverted Coaster Black Mamba” or the “Freefall-Tower Mystery Castle” offer a very special kick, while the water attractions such as “River Quest” and “Chiapas – DIE Wasserbahn” provide a refreshing cooling. The 3D-Funride “Maus au Chocolat” or the Funhouse “Das verrückte Hotel Tartüff” guarantee a lot of fun. In the Phantasialand shows sophisticated choreographies meet rousing songs, daring stunts will take the breath away from the spectators and top-class artistry lets you dive into fantastic worlds.” After the dodgy “The whole family gets its money’s worth” phrase, one only remembers it: There is something for everyone!
Admission prices & opening hours: http://www.phantasialand.de/
Bumper Boat: Outdoor bumper scooter
Driving boats in the middle of Cologne – how is that supposed to work? On the “lake” in the Mediapark this is actually possible. Since this water surface is of course not very large, one gets quite close with the round boats. Exactly this is also the sense of the thing, quasi Autoscooter on the water. The boats are equipped with a 2 HP engine and are surrounded by a rubber tire, so that nothing happens in the case of a collision other than to produce sloshing and splashing waves. Very refreshing at high temperatures and always funny (when the others get wet).